The Appa Chronicles
by Penguinlet
Summary: Life and death, love and hatred, laughter and tears...as the flying bison sees it. Drabbles.
1. Loss

_Disclaimer: _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ and its characters are not mine. Those cookies there however, are.

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**Loss**

The girl – yes, still really just a girl– came to me, sobbing. Why me, I cannot assume to understand. Perhaps because I was big enough to shelter and hide her. Perhaps because of the human affinity for soft fur as comfort. Or perhaps because I was the first thing she ran into.

The night was preparing for a storm. Clouds roiled across the sky, obscuring the moon. I lay on the ground, trying to recover from the day's travels. We would reach the rendezvous with the Water Tribes tomorrow, if I had anything to say about it. As I settled into my makeshift bed, ready to dream about succulent clovers and papaya pancakes, I heard the soft pattering of slippered feet coming directly towards me. It could not have been my ward; he would have started hollering before he had even come into earshot and then had at least two loud accidents before he reached my side. Sometimes I worry about that child.

Before I could get up however, something small and weepy collided into my face and latched on. Ah. The girl. Why was she awake? Why was she even out running around for that matter? She had barely been able to move the last I saw her; her belly was so swollen, she could only lie in the saddle as those silly boys crawled around and around, asking her if she needed this or wanted that. She should not have the strength to move normally, as far along as she was, let alone go bolting around and colliding into airbisons.

She continued crying and holding on to me, her tears sliding off of her delicate cheekbones and into my fur. Finally, the moon came out long enough for me to see her properly.

Oh, Great Horns, what happened?

Her figure, so rounded and full of life, was now as flat as the plains we had been soaring over for days. It was as if the last six months had never happened. I sniffed her gently and caught the scent of blood; blood and water and grief.

She looked up at me, huge eyes swimming in their sufferings. "Appa," she whispered.

My hearts broke, hearing her voice.

"Appa, I've…I lost the baby. I-I don't know what happened. One minute I was fine, lying in bed, and the next…oh, it hurt, it hurt so bad."

Her hands worked my fur. It hurt a little, but I did not move. I am sure she hurt more.

"And Sokka…Sokka yelled for a doctor, but by the time anyone could come help, it was too late. Oh Appa, it hurts. It hurts so much."

We lay there together on the grass, the girl cuddled against my jowl. Soon, another pair of feet came pounding towards me and I managed to catch the scent of the boy, her mate, before he too ran into me. I did not swat him, for once.

"Z-Zuko?"

"I'm here. I'm here, babe."

He sank to the ground where she lay, still curled up in her misery. I could barely make out the glint of tears trailing down his face. He gathered her into his arms, cradling her. I remained guard as the two mourned the loss of their child.

It was a dark night.


	2. An Easy Solution

_Disclaimer: _Avatar: The Last Airbender _is not mine. Alas, very little is.

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**An Easy Solution**

"Well you know, it does say, 'It is in the darkness that love is brightest.'"

"The torches will go out any minute now."

"What choice do we have?"

Still, her eyes showed reluctance.

_Oh, for azalea's sake._ _I just want to get out of this damned cave._

An airbison sees as well in the dark as in broad daylight. He carefully positioned himself and waited for that slippery moment.

"Hey look! That must be the way out!"

As they walked along the pathway – _get out, get out, let me out and back into the sky _– the boy paused and said meekly, "Uh Katara?"

"Yes?"

"Have you thought about, erm, maybe shaving your face?"

"_What_!"

If bison could smile, he would have.

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**A/N: **I can't remember how the precise quotes from "Cave of Two Lovers" go, but I can reassure you that those bits aside, this is _exactly_ what happened in that cave when the lights went out. Case closed. 


	3. Training Lesson

_Avatar: The Last Airbender is not mine. Alas._

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Training Day**

"Now remember young Aang, Appa is just as new at this as you are, so don't be disappointed when he doesn't fly," Monk Gyatso gently reminded.

The excitable boy monk wasn't listening, however. "Oh boy, flying! Oh boy oh boy ohboyohboyohboy!"

They arrived at the airbison paddock. The gentle gargantuan beasts were everywhere: soaring through the air, lolling on the lush hillsides, feasting at the feed mangers. "Which one is mine, Monk Gyatso?" Aang asked, practically vibrating with excitement.

Monk Gyatso frowned. "We went over this Aang. The Animal Guardian is not 'yours.' He's not a possession. He will be your partner, your protector, your confidant, and most importantly, your friend."

"Yeahyeahyeahokayokayokay! Appa! APPA ARE YOU HERE?" Aang yelled.

Monk Gyatso fished a delicate-looking whistle from a pocket. "If Appa isn't in range to hear you, you must use this," he said, and handed the little ivory instrument to his protégé.

Aang snatched the whistle eagerly and blew with all his might. Disappointed when no sound came, he whined, "Aww…it's busted."

Just then, a large shadow swooped overhead. "Woooow," Aang marveled as the bison touched down.

He wasn't as large as the other bison, as he wasn't full grown yet. Roughly the size and weight of a fishing boat, he was still magnificent.

"Appa, this is Aang, the Avatar. Aang, Appa." Monk Gyatso introduced.

Appa lowed in greeting and was astonished when the boy leapt onto his head and tugged one huge ear. "Hey Appa! LET'S FLY!"

The bison growled and looked at Monk Gyatso. The old man chuckled. "I told you he was a handful. I'll leave you two to get acquainted."

As soon as Gyatso left, Appa decided there would be no way he would just roll over and let this rambunctious scrap take charge. For the next hour, no matter how Aang pleaded and prodded, bounced and bribed, Appa refused to budge. When the boy finally found the reins and pulled on those instead, Appa rose up on two legs as if he were preparing for takeoff.

"YEAH! WOO! That's what I'm talking about!" Aang cheered.

Appa slumped back down. He rolled over with a loud snuffle. The little whippersnapper wasn't too bad, actually. The bison was enjoying the game.

Aang however, was becoming less and less amused. He slouched and draped himself on his steed's furry crown. "Man," he complained, "This sucks. Monk Gyatso was right…we don't know how to fly."

Two furred ears swiveled towards the boy. _Don't know how to fly? Excuse you!_

Aang continued dejectedly, "What, was there some magic word I'm supposed to know? They always expect me to know something just because I'm the Avatar. Geez! How am I supposed to remember? 'Giddyup' doesn't work. What if it's some random word, like 'Pandadog' or, I dunno, 'yipyip'?"

Appa shot into the air as if catapulted. _I'll show you who can fly._

"YAAAA!" Aang screamed, hanging on for dear life. "Whoaaa! 'Yipyip'? _That_ was the secret word! AAAAAGH!"

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**A/N: **Actually Aang, the secret word was "please." But it's okay. Yours is a helluva lot catchier. 


	4. Rebirth

_Disclaimer: _Avatar: The Last Airbender _is about as much mine as the ability to focus on finals what with all this sunshine and springtime. That is to say, not at all.

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**Rebirth**

I opened my eyes and it was bright, so bright.

_Where am I?_

The last thing I remember is the Xirxiu and his rider. The woman's eyes gleamed evilly as she tossed her ebony bangs out of her face and cackled in triumph. She was dressed in red. _Same Xirxiu, different rider_, I remember thinking.

The Avatar – my friend, my ward – tried to steer me clear of the Xirxiu's paralyzing tongue, but it was too late. The red ribbon lanced out, caught me on my vulnerable belly, and I could feel no more. I crashed.

Fire, blue as the Water girl's eyes, crackled from the crowing woman's fingertips, sizzled across the air, and struck the easiest and most helpless target – me.

Darkness fell.

Now, as my eyes slowly focused and my groggy head cleared, all I could see was brilliant bright light all around me. The open plain was gone; so were my passengers and attackers.

_Am I, once again, the last one left?_

I had lost my bison family long ago. It appeared that I had lost my adopted one too. Life was so unfair.

I tested my legs and tail. Everything seemed to be in fine working order and the Xirxiu's toxin purged from my system. Suddenly, I realized that while I was floating, I was not flying. Panic seized me; what fearsome magic could levitate a six-ton airbison?

I bleated and began churning my feet in a futile effort to move. Nothing.

Dejected, I ceased my struggling. That's when I saw him.

A keen, wise-looking dragon hung calmly in the air in front of me. He was a dazzling sight: powerful muscles flexed and rippled under sapphire scales that sparkled with the same luminosity of the unknown source all around us. Two long whiskers dangled serenely from his jaw and a blue crest splashed up his jowls to peak in jagged horns on his head. Two leathery wings rested, folded, against his sides. He seemed so exotic, so foreign, and yet I felt as if we shared some common thread of being.

_I…know you._

He chuckled, a laugh that I not only heard but felt. It was inside and outside of everything, as if the dragon's amusement reverberated through the threads of space and time itself.

_Yes._

_Who are you? Where am I? Why did you bring me here? Where are my companions?_

_You are in the Spirit World, Appa-malika-shantu. Normally, you wouldn't be able to cross over like this without your Avatar with you, but I suppose the shock from such a fierce blow would be enough to send you here. Do not worry, your humans and the lemur are capable of fending for themselves._

_So I'm…I'm dead?_

_No. Remember the ceremony, long ago in the Air temple, when you first met the Avatar? Your souls were bound together; so long as his life-spirit still burns, you will not die._

_So that's what the burning feeling was. I thought I had accidentally eaten a bee. But you still haven't answered my first question: who are you? How do I know you? I've never seen a dragon before._

The dragon began growing brighter. Soon I had to screw my eyes up against the blinding light radiating from him. With a flash, the brightness faded to a bearable level once again and I beheld a truly amazing sight.

Before me, around me, above and below and everywhere else in between, stood hundreds, perhaps thousands, of other animals. There were some of every kind I have ever seen or heard of and even more that I haven't. They stood in all shapes and sizes, colors and patterns. I even saw a few airbison among them, here and there. They all glowed the same brilliant white.

_I – we – are you. _

I scanned the sea of faces before me. Countless eyes of every type gazed back steadily, calmly. Here, a large wolf with splendid silver fur panted at me patiently; there, a chestnut stallion with an ivory blaze splashed across his forehead pranced proudly in place. To my left, just next to a slinky, sashaying leopard, was a phoenix, orange flames flickering from its golden feathers. In the back, a roly-poly panda lay serenely next to a sleek qilin. There was even a massive lizard-like creature, larger than I could ever hope to be, reared up on two powerful hind legs and displaying a gargantuan jaw packed with glistening, razor-sharp teeth.

_Me?_

_You see Appa, just as the Avatar is the spirit of the world manifested in a human body, so too is his animal guardian. We are not chosen at random, mere beasts selected to bear the duty of serving the Avatar, but also one spirit born into a new animal body each time._

My hearts fluttered and my head reeled. Was it true? Was I really once that tawny lion, sitting quietly at the feet of the dragon? Did I once roam the icy tundra of the North as that polar bear, or soar through the skies with the feathered wings of that griffin?

A female airbison glided noiselessly to me. A sharp pang raced through my hearts as I faced, for the first time in over a century, one of my own kind. We touched horns and lifted our tails in traditional greeting.

As if that was the cue, all of the gathered animals before me suddenly let loose a deafening noise in perfect unison. Wolves pointed their noses and howled, tigers opened their jaws and roared, birds of prey spread their wings and screeched. The female bison blasted a mighty groan, and I heard myself trumpeting along.

Gradually, as the cacophony died down I looked at them all again and understood. I saw myself in thousands of bodies: mammalian, reptilian, avian. I ran on two legs, galloped on four, flew on six. I had talons, I had claws; I had wings, I had tails.

And inside each one of my many bodies throughout the ages, the same spirit lived on, the essence of love and devotion, friendship and duty.

_I am them and they are me. _

The female bison turned to me. _You must return to your Avatar. Your time is not yet up. _

I knew this too, but I still looked at her sadly. I missed my kind dearly.

_I know. But we will meet once more. _

I inclined my head in a slight bow. _I look forward to that day. Until then, I shall continue to protect and love the Avatar with all that I have and all that I am. _

She rubbed her cheek softly against mine. _And that, _she whispered,_ has always been what you _– we've – _done best._

She stepped back. Once again as if on cue, all of the animals, my past selves, acted in perfect synchrony, this time glowing brighter and brighter as the dragon had earlier. I didn't feel so compelled to close my eyes against the light now. I continued to watch my past reincarnations shine with increasing luminosity. Despite the sheer numbers of them, it was as simple as looking into a clear pond and seeing my own reflection. It _was_ seeing my own reflection.

The light grew even stronger. I could only make out vague outlines of some of the larger animals: the dragon, a rhino, an elk, the big bipedal lizard. For a brief, bizarre moment, I saw the silhouette of something that until now, I had only thought to be the stuff of legend. It was a giant fleshy tube, tapered on one end and ending in a tangle of waving tentacles. _I was a kraken? You're joking._

As everything faded into glaring whiteness, I felt a sharp pain on my tender nose. It stung once, twice.

"Appa?" The voice of my young Avatar sounded like it was coming from far away, through a long, long tunnel. "Appa, come on! You're really scaring me! Appa?"

A suction started pulling me backwards. I couldn't see anything, and the universe of light became as dark as a moonless night. Dimly, I heard the female bison's whisper. _We will meet once more._

My eyes snapped open. The concerned face of the Avatar loomed in my vision, accompanied by the worried countenances of the Water siblings. My head was spinning again, and my nose smarted.

"Appa! You're awake, buddy!"

"You took quite a beating there, old boy," the Water boy added.

I lowed and wobbled to my feet. There were signs of a struggle and the wood of the surrounding trees were blackened. Against one thick bole lay the Xirxiu, hogtied. His rider was a few feet away, unconscious and bleeding from a cut on the forehead. The final member of the Avatar's traveling party stood over her, at the ready should she wake up. He looked up when he heard the Avatar's voice and his stony features melted just long enough to form a relieved smile.

"After Azula knocked you out, Zuko went berserk and attacked her. Katara hit her off of the Xirxiu and we had a fight," the Avatar explained, stroking my forelock.

"We better get out of here," the guardian of the downed woman warned. "Appa, let's fly as soon as you can."

I hummed an affirmative and the youths clambered aboard. I took off just as our attacker began to stir. Despite the intense ordeal I had just undergone, I felt remarkably well. Refreshed, even.

The Avatar sat at his perch on my head. He leaned over and petted one of my ears. "I thought we'd lost you, old pal. I thought _I'd_ lost you. I'm glad you're okay, because I don't want to think about life without you around."

_You won't ever have to_.

We soared on through clear blue sky and puffy clouds.

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**A/N: **Can't you just see an Avatar, probably Fire or something, stomping around on a Tyrannosaurus Rex? Also,I wonder: how much good, exactly, is a giant squid to an Avatar?

Partially borrowed some of RedNovember's imagery from _LTE_. This is sort of what I saw when Katara was seeing Aang, Suyan, and all of the other Avatars.


	5. Help

**Help**

He smelled him long before he saw him. The scent of smoke and desperation was as unique to the intruder as the scar burned into his skin, so Appa was slightly surprised when the face that peeked over the stone walls did not have the expected disfigurement, but instead a grotesque, fanged leer and empty black eyes.

The figure cautiously looked around for guards and finding none vaulted over the wall, landing lightly on his feet. Creeping stealthily, he slid among the shadows and disappeared into an open window. Moments later, soft clinks and rattles told Appa that the intruder had found the pantry.

Appa snorted and shuffled his feet in mild confusion. There was no doubt that the intruder currently pilfering snacks from the kitchen was the scarred Fire Nation prince, but the blue and white mask covering his visage puzzled the airbison almost as much as his presence on the property of one of Ba Sing Se's wealthiest families. Then again, Appa mused, it shouldn't be that much of a surprise; after all, the whelp _had_ followed the Avatar to the ends of the earth and everywhere else in between, usually by tailing Appa himself. Well, if he was hoping to find the rider by finding the steed, he was out of luck. Appa tossed his impressive horns with annoyance. He had been stuck in this opulent prison for several days, ever since the cursed traders had sold him for three ostrich-horses and a panda-dog to the family.

Appa thought he was worth at least five ostrich-horses and four panda-dogs, if not an extra camel-cat or two.

The noises in the pantry stopped, and soon the black-clad figure emerged with a bulging sack slung over his back and a loop of sausages wrapped around his neck. Appa snuffled. He was only stealing food? There were riches galore scattered about the Earth Kingdom mansion, and all he wanted were a few choice morsels?

At Appa's snorts, the figure whipped his masked face towards the wet sound, dual swords drawn and flashing in the moonlight. Spotting the airbison for the first time, he froze and then lowered the blades slowly. Warily, the disguised prince approached Appa and stopped a few feet short, still clutching his plunder. "You?" came the husky whisper.

Appa tossed his horns again and grunted. "No no, shh!" the whelp hissed. "I'm not going to hurt you."

With a noise that was somewhere between a groan and a growl, Appa took a step forward, disbelieving and ready to confront him with a hearty stomp on the foot. The heavy chains on his legs clanked at the movement and the prince tensed again. When no guards appeared, he relaxed again slightly. His free hand rose and pushed the mask up onto his forehead, revealing the amber eyes and claret scar. He raked his gaze over Appa, assessing the situation. Finally, he set down his sack. "This is wrong," he muttered. "You don't belong here."

Raising his weapons again, the prince started forward. Appa stamped in protest and roared. Lamps flared in the dark. "No!" the prince exclaimed in dismay.

Moving deftly, he brought the swords down on the chains holding the airbison captive. Sparks flashed and the links broke. In the house, voices rose and footsteps began pounding through the halls. The prince jammed the mask back on, reached down, and picked up his sack again. "Listen," he said, "We both want one thing right now, and that's to get out of here. I helped you, now you have to help me. Do we have an accord?"

Appa snorted. "Good enough. Let's go."

The prince climbed smartly into the litter with his booty and Appa took to the skies as guards burst into the courtyard. Boulders began flying through the air but to no avail; Appa was already out of range.

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As soon as Appa touched down, Zuko leapt out of the litter and walked in front of him. The two faced each other for a long, silent moment. Zuko was first to move, and bowed slightly to the airbison. "Thank you."

Appa lowed softly and inclined his massive head as well. Zuko, faced with the one who always kept the Avatar safe from his clutches, found himself saying, "Now go back to them. I'm sure their feet hurt by now."

In no further need of encouragement, Appa once again launched toward the heavens, bellowing his happiness. Zuko gazed thoughtfully after the airbison's receding figure and then, turning on his heels, ran swiftly into the night.

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**A/N: **I've always liked the thought of the Blue Spirit and Appa having a brief encounter/adventure in the night. I think Zuko is now mature enough to understand the merits of helping others, even if that other is big and shaggy and flies Aang away to safety all the time. 


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